Flashback: Arkansas Football’s Class of 2017
The worst stretch in Arkansas football’s history began in 2017.
Bret Bielema was let go following an extremely disappointing 2017 season where he went 4-8 overall. Before the season, everyone knew it was a make-or-break year and the pressure was on.
Looking back at the recruiting class from that time, and it’s very easy to see where things went wrong. Across the board, Arkansas was struggling to recruit quality depth to replace production from the previous year. They also didn’t have enough depth to account for injuries at key positions – a recipe for disaster.
The 2017 recruiting class is a prime example, as only three of the 24 enrollees from this cycle would go on to have success while in Fayetteville. Let’s take a look back at the top contributors from Bielema’s final recruiting haul as Arkansas head coach.
No. 10 - Koilan Jackson (WR)
Jackson had the size and ability to make a name for himself as a Razorback, but had terrible injury luck that forced him to retire from football ahead of the 2021 season. He finished his career having played 194 total snaps in three years while catching four passes for 51 yards and a single touchdown.
No. 9 - Kirby Adcock (OL)
After redshirting his first year on campus, Adcock played in four games during the 2018 season. In 2019, he was a more consistent presence in the rotation – playing 10 games at left guard. He received a medical hardship and quit playing football ahead of the 2020 season. He’s now a high school assistant coach at Nashville (Ark.).
No. 8 - Jarques McClellion (DB)
McClellion was a consistent part of the Arkansas secondary during a very bad time. Chad Morris 2018 and 2019 teams were brutal and McClellion struggled to make an impact on them. He transferred to Florida State following the 2019 season, but didn’t fare much better there.
No. 7 - Jonathan Nance (WR)
Nance came to Arkansas after two seasons of JUCO and seemed to have found his groove in the first year. He played in 11 games and finished with 37 catches for 539 yards and five touchdowns in 2017. However, when Chad Morris took over the following year, Nance was on the outside looking in. He decided to transfer to Missouri after four games of seeing very limited action.
No. 6 - Chevin Calloway (DB)
Calloway was expected to do big things in the Arkansas secondary and was able to see action in every game as a true freshman in 2017. But the coaching change saw Calloway get shuffled out of the rotation ahead of the 2018 season. After two games in 2018, he would sit out the remainder of the season with the intent to transfer to SMU.
No. 5 - Chase Hayden (RB)
Hayden was another shocking casualty of the Bielema-to-Morris transition. As a true freshman, Hayden looked like he was going to be the next big thing – rushing for 326 yards and four touchdowns as a third option. However, his production and opportunities drastically decreased in 2018 and 2019. He would eventually transfer to East Carolina and the Illinois, but never broke out at either of those schools.
No. 4 - De'Vion Warren (WR)
Warren should get a lot of credit for sticking through the tough times and turmoil from 2017-2020. He was able to get his opportunity as a viable slot receiver for the Razorbacks during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He finished his Arkansas career with 39 receptions for 568 yards and four touchdowns.
No. 3 - Montaric Brown (DB)
Brown is one of just three players who stuck around through the rough years and was able to have successful careers in Fayetteville (the other two are listed next). He finished his career with 127 total tackles (73 solo), six interceptions and 15 pass breakups. He earned first team All-SEC honors as a senior following the 2021 season. Brown was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, where he remains on the roster today.
No. 2 - Kamren Curl (DB)
Curl is one of the rare talents in Arkansas football history who is enjoying a better NFL career than his career in Fayetteville. A large part of that was due to the dysfunction surrounding the program. That seem to overshadow just how good Curl was. He was moved from corner to safety after his first season, and was quickly able to make it his home.
He finished his career with 175 tackles (105 solo), two interceptions, 15 pass breakups and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Now, Curl is enjoying a successful start to his NFL career as a safety with the Washington Commanders. He was selected to the 2023 NFL Top 100 list prior last month.
No. 1 - Dalton Wagner (OL)
Wagner was one of the highest rated players in the 2017 class and lived up to his billing as a consensus four-star prospect. He played for five seasons and was able to start at least one game in each season. As a redshirt senior in 2022, Wagner earned first team All-SEC honors (PFF) and second team All-SEC honors (AP).
Wagner only allowed two sacks during the 2022 season and just 12 over his five-year career. He did not get selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, but was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent.
